Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathurst and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathurst: $2,495 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Bathurst
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Bathurst Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Bathurst

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,495

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bathurst and in Sydney

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bathurst and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,495 per month in Bathurst vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Bathurst $2,495
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $3,607 per month in Bathurst vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Bathurst $3,607
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $4,719 per month in Bathurst vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Bathurst $4,719
Sydney $6,268

Bathurst is about 21% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bathurst and Sydney sit above the global median – Bathurst by 85%, Sydney by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 A$21.69

$17.57 A$25.29

-14.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 A$120

$91.5 A$132

-8.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$15.17

$11.96 A$17.21

-11.87%

Cappuccino

$3.76 A$5.41

$4.07 A$5.85

-7.62%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 A$4.22

$2.85 A$4.10

2.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.18

$2.25 A$3.24

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 A$7.11

$7.60 A$10.94

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 A$10.90

$7.43 A$10.69

1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.74

$1.66 A$2.38

14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 A$3.94

$2.78 A$4.00

-1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.27

$2.42 A$3.49

-6.20%

Eggs

$4.91 A$7.06

$5.64 A$8.12

-12.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 A$13.31

$11.71 A$16.85

-21.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 A$13.74

$9.66 A$13.89

-1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 A$21.16

$16.75 A$24.10

-12.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 A$5.67

$4.07 A$5.85

-3.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.38

$3.25 A$4.68

-6.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$3.44 A$4.96

-3.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 A$6.49

$4.28 A$6.16

5.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.86

$3.28 A$4.72

-18.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$2.30 A$3.30

0.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.48

$2.30 A$3.31

5.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 A$2.32

$1.21 A$1.74

33.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.35 A$59.5

$43.71 A$62.9

-5.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 A$19.85

$13.88 A$19.97

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.83 A$6.95

$3.90 A$5.62

23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.44

$3.91 A$5.63

32.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.04 A$4.38

-3.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 A$119

$150 A$216

-45.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 A$4.94

$3.38 A$4.86

1.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.56 A$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.22 A$56.4

$40.01 A$57.6

-1.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.86

$1.40 A$2.01

-7.86%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.0K A$38.9K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-7.22%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.8K A$42.9K

$30.1K A$43.4K

-1.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$199 A$286

$223 A$320

-10.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$40.97 A$59.0

$27.16 A$39.08

50.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$88.1

$55.8 A$80.3

9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 A$78.8

$74.6 A$107

-26.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.57 A$25.28

$23.99 A$34.52

-26.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 A$21.38

$17.56 A$25.27

-15.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,122 A$3,054

$2,196 A$3,160

-3.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K A$29.2K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-28.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$113

$78.4 A$113

-0.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 A$78.7

$68.4 A$98.5

-20.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$111 A$160

0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$176

$134 A$193

-8.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$2,011

$2,500 A$3,598

-44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 A$1,739

$1,709 A$2,460

-29.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 A$3,141

$4,946 A$7,117

-55.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 A$2,633

$3,022 A$4,349

-39.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,771 A$8,305

$13.2K A$18.9K

-56.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,885 A$7,030

$8,370 A$12.0K

-41.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bathurst: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bathurst

$1.2K 48.4%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 41.5% $501

Groceries & Markets

Bathurst

$372 14.9%

Sydney

$379 12% 1.7% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bathurst

$301 12.1%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 1.4% $4.3

Eating Out

Bathurst

$258 10.3%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 15.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Bathurst

$165 6.6%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 6.9% $11

Getting Around

Bathurst

$105 4.2%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 64.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Bathurst

$85 3.4%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 29.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Bathurst versus $2,500 in Sydney. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Bathurst versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $379 – making Bathurst the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bathurst

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

Same time as Bathurst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,230

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bathurst vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,742 per month in Bathurst and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bathurst, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Bathurst. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,122 per month in Bathurst and $2,196 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bathurst, where all-in costs run around $2,495, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Bathurst it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bathurst – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bathurst. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.